Gourmet Coffee Defined
Coffee statistics show that coffee is the most popular beverage worldwide with over 400 billion cups consumed each year. Yet only 20% of the harvested is considered to be a premium quality defined as gourmet coffee.
Coffee is grown all over the world, mainly concentrated in 45 countries in different climates, terrains, and cultures. This is what gives the various coffees their very own unique characteristics, taste and flavours. And it is exactly why when you are asked what gourmet coffee is, you might not have a direct answer to it.
In addition, apart from the altitude as well as climates coffee is grown on, you also need to consider the roasting process. Over roast your coffee beans and you get a burnt taste, whilst under roasting gives you a weak brew. The rarity and scarcity of the type of coffee as well as its proprietary roasting process and addictive makes it a premium coffee. In addition, gourmet coffee is of course categorized by its command of much higher prices. Take for instance, Kopi luwak and Jamaican blue mountain coffee are both deemed as gourmet coffee, by their very individual smooth taste, tantalizing and unique aroma. It was often stressed by coffee connoisseurs that once you have tasted such divine specialty coffee, your cultivated palate would never accept the mundane brew of the day ever again.
While it is all well and good to be able to taste the most expensive and unique gourmet coffee in the world, it is also fun to be adventurous with your coffee. Your palate should never cast in stone any type of coffee sensation. The vast variety of gourmet flavored coffee using sweet smelling additives like caramel, chocolate, vanilla, hazelnut have successfully re-cultivated the young palates of youths today. Here is cheers to the new and adventurous Y generation.
By: Sarah Osborne
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